Blackberry comments on the Alcatel Idol 4 comparison with their newly announced DTEK50

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With the launch of the Blackberry DTEK50 this morning, the comparison to the Alcatel Idol 4 have begun to surface – and rightly so, the hardware is remarkably similar in terms of internal specs – though as you can see there are some physical differences.

While Blackberry may have used Alcatel – they don’t outright deny it, nor confirm it – to make the Blackberry DTEK50, they’re focusing on the security that’s built into the DTEK50 at what they call the hardware and the OS level at the point of manufacture, as well as the inclusion of their suite of apps as the main differentiating factor. Blackberry are also using the oleophobic coating on the DTEK50, something missing on the Idol 4 as a defining feature.

The full statement from Blackberry is as follows:

At a lower price point, DTEK50 was built from the hardware up with security in mind. Security is fully integrated into the device’s hardware and OS at the point of manufacturing, which is a key differentiator from Alcatel Idol 4. BlackBerry also sets the bar in incident response and patch management and DTEK50 comes equipped with BlackBerry’s DTEK security app, which allows users to take control and be confident knowing their personal data is being kept private. Additionally, compared to Alcatel’s Idol 4, DTEK50 has the full suite of BlackBerry-powered productivity solutions, providing users with the perfect device for both work and play. Lastly, unlike Alcatel Idol 4, DTEK50 comes equipped with a specialized oleophobic coating to protect against fingerprint smudges.

Android users looking to not compromise when it comes to security and privacy will choose DTEK50 over Alcatel Idol 4. DTEK50 is purposefully engineered to do more when it comes to providing users both the security and productivity they demand from an Android device. At a lower price, it is ready for fleet distribution for enterprises that value the security and privacy of their important information. Users will recognize the BlackBerry brand due to the uncompromising security and productivity DTEK50 provides, which BlackBerry designed despite not manufacturing the hardware.

A direct comparison of the specs, using our hardware comparison tool, taking details straight from their respective sites shows a few small details such as the slightly different specced processor, the smaller microSD card capacity support and the Idol 4 is apparently slightly thinner than the DTEK50. See for yourself.

There are hardware differences and of course the software side of things to consider. Blackberry with the PRIV established an excellent reputation for maintaining their handset with monthly security updates – and of course the handset was updated to Marshmallow earlier this year. How they will fare with multiple handsets remains to be seen, but they seem to have the best of intentions and they do have good incentive with their Blackberry OS business effectively dead.

While Blackbery might be using Alcatel – or their parent company TCL – as a manufacturing source for the DTEK50, it comes down to ‘Does it really matter?’ The software is very likely a good differentiator and it comes down to whether you like that Blackberry logo on the rear of the phone as well ;).

Blackberry Australia has advised that there will be future announcements regarding availability of the handsets in other markets and on carriers around the globe in the coming weeks. We’ll see soon whether the DTEK50 will be arriving here at that stage.

Daniel Tyson Editor

Dan is a die-hard Android fan. Some might even call him a lunatic. He's been an Android user since Android was a thing, and if there's a phone that's run Android, chances are he owns it (his Nexus collection is second-to-none) or has used it.

Dan's dedication to Ausdroid is without question, and he has represented us at some of the biggest international events in our industry including Google I/O, Mobile World Congress, CES and IFA.